Amarnath Temple

Deity

Lord Amarnath (Lord Shiva)

Discovery of Holy Cave

Sage Bhrigu was said to be the first to discover Amarnath. The Valley of Kashmir is thought to have been submerged underwater for a long time, and Sage Kashyapa drained it through a series of rivers and rivulets. As a result, Bhrigu was the first to see Lord Shiva at Amarnath after the waters were drained. After that, as word got out about the lingam, it became a place of worship for all Shiva devotees and the site of an annual pilgrimage, which is usually performed by lakhs of people during the Hindu holy month of Savan in July and August. According to researchers and local tradition, the gadaria group was the first to discover the Amarnath Cave and see Lord Shiva for the first time.

Emperor Aurangzeb was accompanied by François Bernier, a French physician, during his visit to Kashmir in 1663. He mentions that he was "pursuing journey to a grotto full of wonderful congelations, two days journey from Sangsafed" when he "received intelligence that my Nawab felt quite restless and uneasy on account of my long absence" in his book Travels in the Mughal Empire. "As the editor of the second edition of the English translation of the book, Vincent A. Smith, makes clear in his introduction, the "grotto" described in this passage is clearly the Amarnath cave. He says in his letter: "The Amarnath cave is a grotto full of wonderful congelations, where Hindu’s worship blocks of ice and stalagmites created by dripping water from the roof as images of Shiva.

The Shiva Linga

A stalagmite is created within the 40 m (130 ft) high cave by the freezing of water drops that fall from the cave's roof onto the cave floor and expand vertically upward from the cave floor.

Hindus believe that it is a Shiva Linga. Lingam is said to represent Lord Shiva in ancient Hindu scriptures such as the Mahabharata and Puranas.   From May to August, the lingam waxes as snow melts in the Himalayas above the cave and the resulting water seeps into the cave's rocks; after that, the lingam gradually wanes. Although there is no scientific evidence for this belief, it is said that the lingam grows and shrinks with the phases of the moon, reaching its peak during the summer festival. This is where Shiva revealed the secret of life and eternity to his divine consort, Parvati, according to Hindu religious beliefs.

Yatra (pilgrimage)

During the summer months, when the iced Shiva lingam hits the apex of its waxing process, the pilgrimage reaches its pinnacle. Amarnath Yatra is a popular annual Hindu pilgrimage that takes up to 600,000 people to the 130-foot-high glacial Amarnath cave shrine of iced stalagmite Shiv linga at 12,756 feet (3,888 metres) in the Himalayas. It starts with a mountainous trek of 43 kilometres (27 miles) from Pahalgam's Nunwan and Chandanwari base camps, and ends with night stoppage at Sheshnag Lake and Panchtarni camps.

The yatra serves as a source of revenue for the state government by imposing a tax on pilgrims, as well as a means of subsistence for the local Shia Muslim Bakarwal-Gujjars by taking a portion of the revenue and providing services to the Hindu pilgrims, and this source of income has been threatened by Kashmiri militant groups, who have harassed and attacked the yatra on multiple occasions, resulting in killings and massacres.

In 1994, 1995, and 1998, the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen party put what it called a "ban" on the yatra, threatening pilgrims with "severe consequences." Because of the unrest in Kashmir, the Amarnath pilgrimage was suspended in July 2016. Later, a group of Sufis and Shias requested that the Yatra be resumed. Syed Hasnain Baqai, a Sufi cleric, and Kalbe Jawad, a Shia cleric and general secretary of Majlis-e-Ulama-e-Hind, expressed concern that the practise had been suspended due to upheaval in Kashmir.

The number of pilgrims visiting the site has increased dramatically from about 12,000 in 1989 to over 400,000 in 2007. In 2011, around 634,000 Hindu pilgrims visited this famous yatra destination, the highest number ever reported. In 2012, the figure was 622,000, and in 2013, it was 350,000. Pilgrims flock to the holy site during the 45-day Shravani Mela festival in July–August, which corresponds with the Hindu holy month of Shraavana.

The annual pilgrimage known as the Amarnath Yatra begins with 'pratham pujan' to invoke the blessings of Shri Amarnathji.

The road used to go via Rawalpindi (Pakistan), but now a direct train connects the rest of India to Jammu, the state's winter capital. Between Guru Purnima and Shravan Purnima, the journey is at its finest. However, since rains will not begin until Guru Purnima, the mountains' highly unpredictable weather should be more cooperative before Guru Purnima. From Jammu to Pahalgam, there is a bus service (7,500 ft.). Pilgrims in Pahalgam hire coolies or ponies to transport their food, clothing, and other belongings. Pahalgam means "land of shepherds" in Kashmiri.

Route

• Devotees walk from Srinagar or Pahalgam to the shrine. This takes about five days to travel from Pahalgam.
• Daily services from Jammu to Pahalgam and Baltal are provided by the State Road Transport Corporation and private transport operators. Taxis can also be hired privately from Jammu and Kashmir.
• The northern route is only about 16 kilometres long, but it has a very steep gradient and is difficult to climb. It begins in Baltal and travels through Domel, Barari, and Sangam before arriving at the cave. The northern route follows the Amarnath valley, with the river Amaravati (a tributary of Chenab) emerging from the Amarnath Glacier visible all along the route.

Facilities

Various non-governmental organizations have set up food and resting tents called pandals en route to the cave, which is open to visitors. Hundreds of tents built by locals near the shrine can be rented for a night's stay. Various private operators provide helicopter services from the base camp to Panjtarni (6 km from the cave).

Security

Thousands of members of the central armed forces and state police are mobilized each year to protect tourists from terrorist attacks. The powers are stationed at various stoppage as well as along the shrine's perimeter.

How to reach:-

BY AIR, BY RAIL, BY ROAD

Visitor Guide

AIRWAYS

• World-famous sights to see in Srinagar include Dal Lake, Nagin Lake, Shankaracharya Temple, and Mughal gardens such as Shalimar, Nishat, and Cheshma-shahi. The city is well connected by air and road and is known as "Paradise on Earth." It is also the summer capital of Jammu & Kashmir. There are regular flights from Delhi and Jammu to Srinagar. Flights from Chandigarh and Leh are also available on some weekdays.

RAILWAYS

• The closest railway station is Jammu. Jammu is the state capital of Jammu and Kashmir in the winter. Visit old temples such as Raghunath Temple, Mahadev Mandir, and other temples in this city known as "CITY OF TEMPLES." The railway station is well connected, with multiple express trains to various Indian cities.

ROADWAYS

• By road, Jammu and Srinagar are also connected. For this part of the journey, buses and taxis are open. These can be employed on a regular basis or for a full tour.

Other Visiting Sites

Mamaleshwar Temple

Mamleshwar is an ancient temple that is thought to have been built around 400 AD. It's only a mile away from Pahalgam city. This Shiva temple, which stands across the Kolahoi stream and up towards the peak, is dedicated to Lord Shiva. According to legend, Ganesha was installed as the temple's doorkeeper, and no one was allowed to enter without his permission. It is also recognized as Mammal temple because Mam Mal means "don't go." During their vacations in Pahalgam, tourists from all over the world flock to the temple.

Martand Sun Temple

The Martand Sun Temple was constructed in the eighth century CE and is dedicated to Surya (Hinduism's chief solar deity). Surya is also known as Martand in Sanskrit. It was demolished on the orders of Kashmiri ruler Sikandar Shah Miri, and is now in ruins. The temple is five miles from Anantnag in India's Jammu and Kashmir union territory.

Gadsar Lake

At an altitude of 3600 metres, the Gadsar Lake or Yemsar Lake, also known as the Valley of Flowers, is a picturesque, alpine high altitude oligotrophic lake in the Ganderbal district of Kashmir valley. Its maximum length is 0.85 kilometres and its maximum width is 0.76 kilometres.

Betaab Valley

Betaab valley is located 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) from Pahalgam in the Anantnag district of India's northernmost union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The film Betaab, starring Sunny Deol and Amrita Singh, gave the valley its name. 1st The valley is located northeast of Pahalgam, between Pahalgam and Chandanwadi, and is on the way to the Amarnath Temple.The valley is surrounded on all sides by lush green meadows, snow-capped mountains, and thick vegetation.

Registered Tour Operators

Get the registration completed around a month before the Yatra's scheduled start date.